The Mission (2023)

The Mission (2023). 1h 43m | PG-13

“Greetings again from the darkness. What is left that no one has done? Itu0026#39;s a question that the most adventurous among us ask themselves. John Chau was certainly an adventurer. He ran marathons, loved hiking through forests, and enjoyed rock and mountain climbing. His dream was to venture onto the North Sentinel Island and introduce Jesus to the islandu0026#39;s sole inhabitants. The Sentinelese are an isolated human community of hunter-gatherers who have made it abundantly clear over the years that they do not welcome outside visitors.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn 2018, when the news report hit that 26-year-old John Chau had been killed while trying to make contact with The Sentinelese, my initial and immediate reaction was to call him an arrogant jerk who probably got what he deserved. Co-directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, through National Geographic Documentary Films, have brought us more of John Chauu0026#39;s story so that we (me) can better understand his motivation and how it fits into the historical aspect of missionary work.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMcBaine and Moss explore the various stories here, which include: a community of folks living life on their own terms, the overreach of religion, the role of missionaries, a young man wanting to make a difference, and a father-son relationship. Much of Johnu0026#39;s story is taken directly from the journal he kept right up until the day he died. The directors also effectively use the letter from Johnu0026#39;s father, which is read aloud and displayed through animation. Additionally, there are interviews with Johnu0026#39;s friend, an historian, and a long-time missionary. We learn that as a kid, John was attracted to stories such as u0026quot;Robinson Crusoeu0026quot; and u0026quot;Tintinu0026quot;, as well as drawing inspiration from movies like END OF THE SPEAR. His attraction to adventure began at an early age, and it was the draw of religion that really struck a chord.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs a Chinese-American and evangelical Christian, it is said that he might have believed the indigenous people were waiting for him to bring them The Truth. Whether he believed this or instead simply felt it was his responsibility, speaks to a level of conceit rarely seen outside of religion or politics. What is abundantly clear is that as a disciple of u0026#39;The Great Commissionu0026#39;, Johnu0026#39;s radical approach paid little mind or respect to the uncorrupted culture of this isolated tribe. This is why, as his long-time friend describes, he had to pay pirates to take him uninvited to the island to talk about Jesus. Itu0026#39;s a conceit that will not compute for me, regardless of his religious beliefs.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNorth Sentinel Island is part of the Andaman Islands (where the legend of King Kong took place) and it is protected by the government of India. John Chauu0026#39;s u0026quot;Planu0026quot; even included a section detailing the illegality of his mission. The filmmakers structure the film with the first hour being mostly background and setup, while the final 45 minutes dig into Johnu0026#39;s trip to the island – a trip best described in the movie as u0026#39;idealism masquerading as Godu0026#39;s will.u0026#39; Johnu0026#39;s father carried a burden of parental guilt, which is understandable; however, most of this boils down to Johnu0026#39;s own ignorance and conceit. As thorough as the research is, and as interesting as the history is, none of it has changed my mind about John Chau.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOpens October 27, 2023 in theaters.”